Daily’s deputy director faces legal action
(IPYS/IFEX) – As of 20 July 2001, Jorge Vivanco Mendienta, deputy director of the Guayaquil based daily “Expreso”, is facing legal action brought forward by the heads of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party (Partido Roldosista Ecuatoriano, PRE). This is the party of former president Abdalá Bucaram Ortiz, who was abruptly ousted and is currently living in […]
After six months in hiding, reporter returns as sentence expires
(IPYS/IFEX) – Ecuadorian journalist Wilson Cabrera returned to his daily job at Radio Canela FM and the weekly newspaper “El Observador”, in Macas City, capital of Morona Santiago province, in Ecuador’s Amazonian region, about 420 kilometres southeast of Quito. Cabrera has been in hiding for six months and eight days since the unfair trial that […]
Reporter sentenced in contentious case, judges face disciplinary measures
(IPYS/IFEX) – Ecuadorian journalist Wilson Cabrera was sentenced to three months in prison for reporting on irregularities in the administration of government offices and the justice system. Thirty-seven year old Cabrera founded the newspaper “El Observador” five years ago and Radio Canela FM eight months ago, in Macas, a province of Morona Santiago, located in […]
Peruvian journalists detained and released some hours later in Ecuador
(IPYS/IFEX) – On the afternoon of Sunday 11 March 2001, in the city of Huaquillas, Ecuador, near the Peruvian border, Ecuadorian police officers detained two journalists of the Frecuencia Latina Canal 2 television station. The journalists were carrying out an investigation into the trafficking of the so-called “Andean Cards” (“Tarjetas Andinas”). Cameraman Carlos Mego Terrones, […]
RSF concerned over attacks, threats against three journalists
In a letter to Ecuadorian Interior Minister Francisco Huerta, RSF expressed its “great concern over the attack against Rafael Cuesta, of the Telecentro Television channel, and the threats directed at Andrés Carrion and Gonzálo Ortiz Crespo, of the Telesistema and Gamavision channels.” The organisation asked the minister “to initiate an investigation into the attack against […]
Peruvian newspaper journalist assaulted
(IPYS/IFEX) – In an interview from Quito, Ecuador, journalist Jose Jara reported having been assaulted. On the front page of the daily “El Sol”, the journalist indicated that, in the middle of a press conference held to cover the return of Ecuador President Fabian Alarcon to his country, a military official dressed in civilian clothing […]
Journalist investigating government corruption attacked
(AMARC/IFEX) – On 11 April 1998, journalist Felix Narvaez was the victim of vandalism. The windows on a vehicle used by Narvaez were broken while he was working. The attackers did not take the items of value that were in the car, but they did take documents related to a journalistic investigation. Several days earlier, […]
Legislation currently being debated in Congress threatens press freedom
(RSF/IFEX) – An amendment to the Penal Code which is currently being debated in Congress provides for penalties ranging from six months to two years in prison for any individual who obtains, reproduces or circulates images (photographs or videos), recordings or texts which contain information that could damage the intimacy and personal lives of people, […]